If you have a Google account, you’ve probably noticed the new buttons on your search results:

What do these mean for the future of search engine optimisers? Well, it seems Google is finally yielding to the fact they can’t create the perfect algorithm, they still need human input. Whilst there is no official line the promote or remove buttons will have any effect on a website, it’s only a matter of time before Google use the data and the SERPs will start to produce results based on promote and remove.

And why not. It will encourage businesses and website owners to create useful content, and hopefully banish spammy sites to the black hole. Just think about all the crap websites you currently have to sift through that just happen to be good at SEO, but provide no real value, this is a way to reduce them.

Will the system be gamed? Of course we’ve already heard the urban myth of SEO agencies outsourcing to China and having lots of people search for and click on their websites across internet cafes, so you’d assume this would be the next step. Except they’ll each have to have their own Google account, no big drama, but the different accounts would need to register a different promote and remove vote from different IP addresses, meaning one person would need to login to one account, promote or remove, then go to another internet cafe, login to another Google account, perform another promote or remove and so forth - not time effective at all. I’m sure if a heap of different accounts were promoting and removing the same websites from the same IP address Google would notice (at least I hope they would!). Or I guess you could have a range of IP addresses and move around from computer to computer for different accounts - not an easy setup and I’m actually imagining it would seem a bit futuristic sci-fi. It would be cheaper to just create some decent content…I can’t imagine it would be worth the investment for the outcome.

So, fingers crossed for Google working the promote and remove feature in their search engine results.

It felt like only a few blogs ago we were blogging about the expensive shipping fees with the launch of JC Penney and there was some hefty discussion about this issue. So it’s sad that already they’ve closed their doors after only two months in Australia.

I’m sure it wasn’t the hefty shipping fees, but the miserable Australian dollar that played the biggest part in the demise of JC Penney.

I’m hoping now DJ’s and Myer don’t think they don’t have to play in this online space. There really is a niche there, but it needs to be onshore so postage is ridiculous and doesn’t take weeks. All online retailers should take a leaf out of Zodee’s book. I ordered some products over the weekend and they arrived on Monday - less than a day later. That’s the most impressive online experience I’ve had in a while…

We’re hiring (finally). Just posted the following job on seek.com.au

SEO Trainee - Link Building

• Flexible hours (4-10 hrs per week)
• Work from home
• Suit student
• Passionate about the internet
• $25 per hr

You.

Are currently studying (or a recent graduate of) marketing, communications, IT or design*. You have excellent writing skills and are keen to learn more about online marketing. You also have a computer with reliable internet access and a comfortable pair of slippers because you will be working from home.

You have a good understanding of the internet, are familiar with how to use Flickr, MySpace, Facebook, subscribe to a few RSS feeds of interest and either have your own blog or regularly read someone else’s. You will need to be computer literate and able to type with more than two fingers.

Your role will be to create links to our clients websites. You will be expected to attend one day training in the Northern Beaches where you will be shown how we do this and provided with some really cool tools. You do not need any previous experience, just curiosity, passion and motivation. If you have trouble uploading photos to Facebook, this isn’t for you.

Us.

We are a small agency, but also one of the Top 25 SEO companies in Australia. We’ve been in business for over three years and the market dictacts it’s time to grow. We have a stable of over 100 clients and are set to rapidly grow over the next few years. Our main focus is web development and online marketing. Our websites have won many awards and can do some very clever things. Check us out at www.blackmaxmedia.com.au

You must reside in Sydney and be a permanent Australian resident.

*Design students are encouraged to apply so we can also throw you some of our overflow of graphic and web design work.

If you’d like to apply please email jobs@blackmaxmedia.com.au

Yesterday Google released their SEO starter guide to the public. This document was initially given to Google staff, but they’ve now released it to assist website owners.

It really is SEO 101, but it’s a great lesson to new website owners that there is no substitute for a quality website when it comes to chasing a high search engine position.

Download the Search Engine Optimisation Starter Guide here.